New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-14
TELEPHONES NOT LUXURIES.
MANY MERCHANTS ASSERT THIS.
rHEY COMPLAIN BEFORE TIE COMMITTEE ABOUT
- L LXPENsEs

State against interfering the examination outside
witnesses into the hearing whc the Of the Metro
politan Company under consideration. This
looked objection against experts and invent
DIS and various witnesses who present testify
about the and abuse of he telephone. Chairman
Ainsworth wanted TO hear these witnesses. however,
he had failed TO get of that kind ia other cities
and he soothed Mr.. Camp with the that the
continuity of Metropolitan testimony would be pre-
served In the stenO1aphers report. The chairman
then began putting three questions 10 each OF several
business men who had been summoned TO say whether
they considered the telephone luxury necessity,
whether the service here was good, and whether the
rates satisfactory.
Daniel c. Robbins of McKcsson Robbins the drug
dealers, testified that his firm used three four tec
phones and he had two I'm his house and ono in his
stable. He did not complain of the service. but he
thought the high. The telephone was as
necessary a locomotive or All elevator Rates could
be essencd, he thought from 25 to 40 pcr cent. Tho
telephone business more naturally monopoly
than any other because a single system would give the
best service.
lsdor Straus. importer Of china considered the
telephone a necessity; the service might he better
and less of a babel of tongues might be desirable
d telephone when in
The telephone next characterized a nuisance
and yet a necessity by Charles r. latham, of No. 81
Beckmanst., who also declared the service cXccrabc
He could not get a good connection once out of ten
times I'm this city. and when he wanted Brooklyn he
could not get IT year. Everybody was com
planning of tho difficulty of talking the telephone
Mr. latham said lie was often prevented from remain
ing at home in brooklyn because he could not talk
over the river. Besides he considered the charges
exorbitan and outrageous.
\ TELEPHONE AS A WITNESS.
MIR Tatham's remarks reused Lawyer Camp who
asserted that he could give Mr.. latham a good cen
ncction with his Brooklyn house the spot. After
good trouble the witnesses telephone number
found and his stable called up from the room
where the committee sat. Assemblyman saXtOn
worked the instrument. His face as he listened for
the of resembled that of one who longs
and looks aud looks and longs in valn He tried deS-
Icrately catch the tones from Brooklyn but con
fusion was considerably COMPOUNDED in them. The
experiment was a brilliant Mr.. latham
lOOLcd delighted he thought Of the adjcctves he
had used.
James +. Nichols. Of Austin. Nichols Co.. wholesale
cruccfs al NO II Hudson ST. considered the telephone
a necessity. To be be said, there were defects
In the service, and he had had the same uncomiorta
BILE experiences as great many other people IN using
the telephone. There times when the inst"t
mcnjs would not work well
f. II. Amm.down. dealer I'm dry goods of No. 80
Leonard ST.. expressed the view that the telephone
needed more cgsiaton TO hold it in check lie found
the instrument ; necessary that he used II sixty
times day. That makes each message cost Nou
less than a cent" exclaimed Lawyer Camp, trum
phanty.
william II. Ecker. The general superintendent OF
the Metropolitan Company. recalled. lie placed
The table several coils of wire ircscui from the
COMPANY lines. They were what is known In teie-
phune circles dcad7 Wire their power OF conduct
f,y had departed salt ANA gases in the ar and Other
ca:isc, had Killed. them oil some were seven years
old at date oi dca'h and olhcrs thIei
TIE UNDERGROUND QUrsrioN AGAIN.
Mr.. Camp took Mr. Ecker, in hand and entered ON
his faYoritc theme showing what fearful havoc would
IL, made in the companys treasury by putting the
wires under ground. had already been proved T."
Nj Camps satisfaction that IT would cost the com
Yany $500 mile year for rental for cOndu'ts WIFE
zoo miles 10 pay while each cable would cost sew
cnty cents a for all that distance. Mr. tchcft
went to Jumping" all this. 1t would cost thc com
lany at lcas 100000 to put the wires under srolnl
Areay s7oG3 had lecn S4 Tended ir ON ,II , ly~
be luande Cd IN that diiGcilon. Even al 'h''
Mr.. Ain>WOr;L one side. and Mcssi@ E%h,E
and Camp combined on The Other had ini over ,h'
Mr AnswOr'h thought that the company should dcduc
destruction o. wiro from case, and from storms ON
lic theory that the lie OF the plant was only ny
hsnsh, "n ihs, the tn" total cost '' Of lan9
he n ;s 9 ooo u"qsFs S TOO m %Sp for Mr. @
,rt, no said he would prefer TO leave that c"mpu'a
Mr. camp took up the examination and Nj Ectert
'ad that the conn any nndetg1oan4 sem "T T
present conld ace6mm9aa,e only ZOO an, s, y,,
nust 20 underground TO accommodate an icIed''u
Mr. Eclcrt said that as matters stood tie com
pany could not get Sufficient pivlese5 ron ihr c.'
sor larger business. Electric eh vlrrs In me con
here would J., trouble from induction on wires four
asrys "; qovss 9is for ! y ;sT, r" 4 +,
with sep09c rae. ! as 100 hfR Th t5s c and
Brookyn as - Very mIerfect' and Franz" Ilerr.ng
Of the vel known safe manufactnrer-. Joined win
Ks predecessors IN calling tic tclclhon" neccseity
vim others he though the rates TOO high H. choi
,nmpainf Of nc >crvrc lodged against ia" central
2s 10 ,or bd 5 IA IN qanald WhdT he had "hon~
II conversarlon
rrr AWFUL rXPrvSr OF \ PIC SWITCH BOARD
John A. scccy the Mctropol'tan's electrician, went
into the detail, Of the company now famous switch
board " contained forty four sections. n" said with
10000 syringjacls and LOO 600 soldcred joints
Mr. Scccy under Mr.. Camps guidance, went over the
old old story of terrific expense Of big switch
board In the telephones, 700. renewals were being
constantly made and wires would no, live over fly"
years. Some 40 at work on wires betvecn
were d.,nSgTsng IKE rige frnit W ,sa wafer
comrlai ned Of Inc central Office but thought the
telephone necessity the rates, S12 80 month were
Endtor Gncrry recalled had another opportunity
TO aid Lawyer Camp In asserting that ont ~ ne M.9,
polfan's TOT a! Investment far Of 81 81, l1G "a
would lose 81 off e59 90 IN going underground Win
total loss from THIS source and depreciation combined
of ~ 537.951 % The total earnings Of The company
rad been 20. SOC eGg Is leaving not earnings on
net earnings 10 investment - annually Mr. Aims
worth showed that the annual mr. esrnngs ron cach
- IN 1881 sl32 in 1855. and he thought that his
nat Tho companvs expenses we're Increasing right
along In rcometrlcal ratio With The Increase In thc
ur Answort's position a fair test because tho cond
were different in tbs ely , ana ID eSU o6c .r IN
ucrlhers. while hero there were 1000
Tho examination goes on to-day
COMPLAINT AB0rT BALL PXAYTNG ~ PARK
An Ira,e morchan, dong business Duane Street